Publish Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Location: Atlantic Ocean, 35 miles offshore from South Carolina
The pain can be intense, but when it’s over you seem to forget about the labor, and just celebrate the result. This short-term memory loss causes you to do it time and time again. 🙂
We’ve done five multi-day passages in the last six weeks. We needed to make some southerly progress quickly due to the fact that we stayed so far north late in the season to complete the Down East Circle. To do these passages safely and comfortably, one waits for a good weather window, and then goes when it opens. Of course, the window isn’t always open for quite as long as you might need, or it can change rapidly based on any number of factors.
In the U.S. we use three different weather sources when evaluating our weather windows. For the most part our predictions and expectations have aligned with what we experience, and that’s good news. However, I continue to be fascinated by how varied sea states can be. Wave predictions for 2 to 4 feet (3 to 5, 4 to 6, etc.) only paint a small portion of the picture. There are some other very important questions to consider.
It’s important to note that wave height predictions are usually an average of 1/3 to 1/2 of the highest waves predicted. Often “wave sets” stack up, and you occasionally end up with a whopper of a wave. It seems to me these whopper waves only come at night, just to surprise me. 🙂
What direction will the seas be coming from relative to our course? The answer to this question can help us prepare for a “hobby-horse” head sea, the “crab walk” following sea, or a “rocking” beam sea.
What’s the wave period? Long periods can give you a gentle ocean swell; while extremely short periods can make you feel as if you are on the agitate cycle of a washing machine.
Of course wind, tide, and current conditions also add to the mix, creating smooth, speedy transits, or short, nasty chops.
Taking these factors into account, along with technical weather analysis of fronts, troughs, and ridges overlaid on our route, we then pick a weather window and go. For the last 24 hours we are having one of those sweet rides. The sun is shining, the wind is under 10 knots, seas are 2ft or less, and a dozen dolphins have been surfing our bow wake on and off all afternoon. It’s also the reason I can write a blog while we are cruising.
Not all of our recent cruises have been so pleasant. I’ve been sea sick more in the last six weeks than the whole past year combined. Although I pride myself on securing the boat well, we managed to launch a coffee pot and water pitcher on one of those unexpected whopper waves. When the seas are sloppy, the crew doesn’t eat well, or sleep well — never a good combination. Yet we always arrive safe and sound, and are thrilled to be at our next destination. After a nap, a shower, and a good meal, it never seems that bad, and we’re ready to do it again a few days later. We always hope for the best on these passages, but prepare for the worst.
And then every once in a while, we get the perfect weather window and a sweet ride like today; and, think I could do this every day for the rest of my life. 🙂
Do you run with your AIS on? Was trying to track you on:
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/
But you don’t seem to show up.
Good to see the videos and read up on how you are doing. Will keep checking your site. Very nicely done. Think of you three often. Tannis says hi to Ayla. She just got back from Switzerland. Did they exchange emails?
We are with you in spirit, Kathryn. The rough seas on some of our “off the wall trips” can make our vacation experience a little less perfect than we expect. The rough seas will be over soon and you will remember the more plesent cruising days. Enjoy.
I’ve never given birth :), but I can relate to your weather concerns as we are about to start our 6 month (very short compared to your vogue) “winter” sojourn to Florida. We are leaving Michigan this early because in the past few years we have run into some nasty cold, windy, and snowy weather………….so much for global worming! It is not fun trying to maneuver an 8 ton rig when it is windy and slippery in the various mountains as we travel south. And yes, we have also had the coffee pot become a missile.
As I told David, we hope to see you in Beaufort SC. Also tell him that the dockage at my friends house is in Lauderdale is not completely out of the question……………..yet. He is trying to get a hold of his neighbor to see if she would let you moor their. Stay tuned!
We do not have the luxury of a computer in our coach while we are under way, as you do, so if I hear anything from him I will call you.
Safe sailing.
Art
Kathryn,
Loved the blog, loved the visual…it’s what makes it an adventure..As I sit here in my house that doesn’t move I am gratful on the cold, windy, and overcast days….but I wonder how I will survive living in a home that never moves. Sometimes it scares me.
Enjoy the ride.
Glad you are underway. Waiting for weather or anything for that matter is a drag.
Thanks for giving us that are following along vicariously a feeling of what it is really like out there!
Trent canal is closed.All boats from Little Lake gone.Will be looking forward to your warm weather reports . I will send down some cool breezes from the north to keep every thing in balance.Tom.